Super Healthy Broccoli Microgreen Pesto

This super healthy broccoli microgreen pesto is our nutritious and refreshing twist on the classic Italian pesto. Pair fresh basil and the nutrient-packed peppery goodness of broccoli microgreens with rich macadamia nuts, sharp Parmigiano Reggiano, and zesty lemon for a unique flavor profile.

If you’re looking for creative ways to use both basil and broccoli microgreens in a healthy way, you’ve come to the right place. This broccoli microgreen pesto is packed with nutrients and so flavorful, making it a great addition to almost any meal.

The inspiration

Our weekly trip to a local microgreens business always results in an abundance of fresh, crisp broccoli microgreens. We relish including these tiny greens in our morning smoothies for an added nutrient boost. But as much as we love them, there are times when we end up with more broccoli microgreens than our smoothies can handle!

Searching for innovative and healthy ways to incorporate these extra greens into our meals before they go bad, led us to the idea of a pesto. Adding broccoli microgreens to the traditional recipe resulted in a creamy, peppery pesto bursting with flavor.

But the benefits of this broccoli microgreen and basil pesto extend beyond just taste. As discussed in our Easy Guide to Broccoli Microgreens, these tiny plants are nutritional powerhouses. They are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, and minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.

Broccoli microgreens are also rich in sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli and abundant in their microgreens and sprouts, which has been linked to several health benefits, including heart health and cancer prevention.

This makes our pesto a delightful addition to any dish and a highly nutritious one. Each spoonful of our pesto offers you a wealth of nutrients and a unique, robust flavor.

Ingredients to make this broccoli microgreen pesto

Yields slightly more than 1 cup of pesto.

• 1 cup of fresh basil, packed
• 1 cup of broccoli microgreens, packed
• A small handful of macadamia nuts (less than 1/4 cup); alternatives include pistachios, walnuts, or toasted pine nuts
• A few shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Optional: Zest from one organic lemon
• Juice from half a lemon, or to your taste
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, adjusted to taste

How to make broccoli microgreen pesto

• Place all the dry ingredients (basil, broccoli microgreens, macadamia nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano shavings, and optional lemon zest) into a food processor. Pulse the ingredients until they are finely chopped.
• Once chopped, add the extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice to the food processor. Also add a bit of salt and pepper for initial seasoning. Process the mixture until it achieves a creamy consistency.
• After blending, taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add more salt or pepper if needed, and blend once more to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
• Transfer your mixture into a glass container for storage. It can be kept in the refrigerator and used for up to one week.

Note: We use a powerful immersion blender to make pesto, but any food processor high-power blender will work.

Serving suggestions for this healthy pesto

Our versatile broccoli microgreens and basil pesto can take numerous dishes to the next level. While we encourage you to get creative and experiment, here we share a few serving suggestions that celebrate its flavorful complexity and nutrient-rich profile:

Use as a pizza sauce with our lectin-free and gluten-free sourdough pizza: Spread a thin layer of pesto on your prebaked pizza crust before the final baking with toppings. Add extra raw pesto just before serving to preserve some of the nutrients.

Pasta Sauce: Stir some pesto into your favorite pasta for an easy, flavorful, and nutrient-dense meal. It pairs beautifully with both gluten-free and traditional pasta types. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta just before serving to preserve nutrients.

Green sauce for meat and chicken: This pesto also makes an excellent accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats, offering a refreshing, green twist to your typical chicken or steak dinner.

Salmon, other fish, or seafood topper: Brush the pesto on salmon fillets before baking or grilling. The rich, oily texture of the salmon complements the creamy, zesty pesto perfectly. Add more before serving.

Morning Eggs: Add a dollop of healthy pesto to your scrambled eggs, omelets, or frittatas for a flavorful breakfast boost.

Salad Dressing: Lastly, mix this pesto with a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice to make a deliciously creamy and healthy salad dressing.

Raw or cooked?

We highly recommend consuming this broccoli microgreens and basil pesto raw, as this ensures you’re receiving the maximum nutritional benefits from the fresh, unprocessed ingredients. Serving it raw allows you to take full advantage of the high concentrations of vitamins and minerals found in the broccoli microgreens and basil.

However, if you prefer a warm sauce or are using it in a heated dish, gentle heating can also be beneficial. Research suggests that gentle heating may help increase the levels of sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli that has been linked to several health benefits, including heart health and cancer prevention.

Remember, however you choose to enjoy this pesto, you’re adding a nutrient-rich, flavorful component to your meals. Enjoy the zest and vibrancy of our broccoli microgreen and basil pesto in your culinary creations!

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